New polling reveals growing concern among Americans about President Donald Trump’s mental fitness. Some measures are reaching levels seen during former President Joe Biden’s time in office.
Trump won the 2024 presidential election after Biden withdrew from the race amid questions about his age and mental sharpness. Biden was 81 when he left the contest. Now, over a year into Trump’s second term, surveys show that worries about the 79-year-old president’s cognitive ability and stamina are becoming more apparent.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Tuesday found that 61% of Americans believe Trump has “become erratic with age,” including 30% of Republicans. This survey was conducted before Trump delivered his State of the Union address, which lasted 1 hour and 47 minutes, setting a record for the longest speech to Congress.
Per CNN, the same Reuters/Ipsos poll indicated that 45% of respondents described Trump as “mentally sharp and able to deal with challenges,” down from 54% in September 2023. The poll surveyed 4,638 U.S. adults and had a margin of error of 2 percentage points.
These findings resemble polling from Trump’s first term, when some voters raised concerns about his mental acuity. In 2021, Quinnipiac University polling showed nearly 50% of registered voters believed Trump was not “mentally stable” after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, although that number did not exceed a majority.
Other recent surveys reflect similar trends. A CNN poll conducted last month found the percentage of Americans who think Trump has the “stamina and sharpness to serve effectively as president” dropped from 53% in late 2023 to 46% today. This figure is still higher than Biden’s in 2023, when between 25% and 32% of respondents expressed confidence in his stamina and sharpness.
A Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll released last week reported that 56% of Americans said Trump does not have the mental sharpness needed to serve effectively, and 51% stated he lacks the physical health necessary for the role. The mental sharpness figure rose 13 points from May 2023, while concerns about physical health increased 23 points during that time.
While those numbers are lower than what Biden faced near the end of his presidency, when both measures reached around 60%, the percentage of people doubting Trump’s mental sharpness is similar to Biden’s at a comparable time in his term. In February 2022, 54% said Biden lacked the mental sharpness to serve effectively.
A Pew Research Center survey conducted last month also indicated declining confidence in Trump’s fitness for office. The share of Americans who reported being at least “very confident” in Trump’s mental fitness fell from 39% a year ago to 32%. Confidence in his physical fitness decreased from 35% to 28%.
Among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, the percentage who were “very confident” in Trump’s mental fitness dropped from 75% to 66%. On physical fitness, it fell from 65% to 55%.
In contrast, Biden’s numbers were lower toward the end of his presidency. In April 2024, 21% of voters expressed “very confident” feelings about Biden’s mental fitness, and 15% felt similarly about his physical fitness. CNN polling at that time found that about half of Biden’s Democratic base questioned his stamina and sharpness.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle dismissed the recent findings in a statement to Reuters, calling them “fake and desperate narratives” and asserting that Trump’s “sharpness” and “energy” are evident to the public.
Trump, who often mentions his performance on cognitive tests and highlights his lengthy public appearances, has brushed off criticism about his age. Still, polling shows that as the oldest president ever elected, he faces scrutiny similar to what his predecessor, who he mocked for his ability to perform.
